


Seducing Senpai

by The7strange



Series: Girl Talk [1]
Category: Skip Beat!
Genre: Bonding, F/M, Fluff and Crack, Friendship, Relationship Advice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-12
Updated: 2018-06-23
Packaged: 2019-05-21 12:49:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14915681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The7strange/pseuds/The7strange
Summary: Kotonami Kanae has noticed a change in behavior with her friend Kyoko when around the actor Tsuruga Ren. Forcing the younger girl to spill the beans, the two have the closest thing either had ever experienced to the special event called "girl talk". Kyoko quickly finds the appeal in such things, excitedly turning to her friend for advice on matters of the heart. What are girlfriends for?





	1. In terms of the heart

Kotonmi Kanae brusquely walked down the hall, ignoring the wailing girl that was trailing behind her.

"Moko-saaa~n!!! Please don't be like that! I'm not hiding anything! Please don't stop being my friend. Mokooo-saaaaaaaaaaannn!" No, she would not give in. Not only had Kyoko been hiding something in relation to her relationship with Tsuruga-ren, but she had used that obvious fake customer service face in an attempt to lie and hide it! Hide it from HER! The supposed  _best friend!_ She would not stand by and be blatantly lied to in such an obvious and insulting manner! "I yield! I'll Tell you everything! Please!"

Ten minutes later, the two sat across from one another in the safety of the Love-me room, Kanea's arms crossed as she stared down as a withering Kyoko.

"Mo! Spit it out, already! I don't have such a free schedule that I can sit around doing 'girl talk' with you whenever!" Kyoko's head snapped up, eyes sparkling with excitement that told Kanea that she probably should have chosen her words better.

"MOKO-SAN!" Kyoko attempted to spring forward for a hug, only to be stopped with a hand on her forehead and a pointed glare from her beautiful friend.

"What did I just say? Stop stalling already, and explain to me why I was assaulted by such an unexpected sight!" The sight she was referencing was Kyoko looking hurt and unstable behind Tsuruga Ren's back while the tall actor was talking to Yashiro about something. Kanae had noticed a definite change in Kyoko's interaction with the man as of late, but this was the last straw. What was worse; when Kanae confronted Kyoko about it, the younger girl had lied  _to her face_ and in such and  _obvious way_ , that she hadn't been able to keep her cool. This girl knew exactly what she had been talking about, and kept it from her! Best friends, her ass!

"I..." Kyoko fiddled with whatever she could, the edge of her skirt, the lines on the floor, her own fingers. It was driving Kanae crazy! Still, she stayed silent, determined to get an honest answer from the girl. "I don't want Moko-san to hate me...." She mumbled sadly.

"Mo! Then tell me what you're hiding already!"

"But Moko-san! It's not so simple! I can't easily talk about such things!" Kanae instantly tensed up at that.

"Such things... What did that bastard do to you? I'll destroy him!" she stood up, fire and despise in her eyes as she imagined destroying the man that seemed to have done something to disturb Kyoko.

"Wha-! No! Moko-san, it's not because of Tsuruga-san! I mean, it's nothing he did!" The black-haired beauty snapped her head to look at Kyoko, her expression wild like a starving lion. "It... I might... I might have developed... feelings... for Tsuraga-san." she explained timidly, poking her pointer fingers together as she avoided Kanae's gaze. The older girl stayed silent, her mind quickly trying to process this information. Sure, she had somewhat suspected that Kyoko was starting to have some deeper feelings toward Ren, but she had been more concerned that she wold end up having to compete with the man for Kyoko's friendship. If she was looking at him romantically, however.... This was something she hadn't expected to happen any time soon. Kyoko was always so adamant about not falling in love and what not, fiercely denying any suggestions of someone seeing her that way. What had happened for this drastic change of heart? She hadn't said she loved the man, but it was certainly implied that she was headed down that rout. This could be good for her. No, wasn't this really a good thing? They were in this cursed section for this very purpose, weren't they? For matters of learning to love? Kanae couldn't say she expected to graduate from the pink curse before Kyoko, but she certainly hadn't thought she would be left behind so quickly. This girl was frightening.

"So, you love him?" She spoke, gauging the reaction. Kyoko turned bright red as she held up her hands defensively.

"L-lo... I don't know if I could..." Kyoko's brow lowered as her mouth pursed into a conflicted frown. She couldn't complete her denial, but she was also incapable of fully admitting to her feelings, it seemed. Kanae supposed she could forgive Kyoko for not telling her about it yet. But wait..., this topic didn't seem entirely unfamiliar.

"What about Chiori-san?"

"Eh? Chiori-san?" Kyoko echoed innocently. Kanae frowned unhappily. Suspicious.

"Yes, Chiori-san. You told me before that she had feelings for that guy. You had been so distressed about her problems with an unrequited love, that you...." Realization dawned on Kanea's face before she leveled a glare on Kyoko once again. "You lied! That wasn't about Chiori at all, but about yourself! That's why you were so distracted during the auditions, because that girl had seen through you and used your feelings in an attempt to overtake you!" Kyoko cowered as every accusation hit home.

"It's truuuue! It's all true!" Kyoko cried, throwing herself at Kanae's feet. "Please don't hate me, Moko-san!"

"Mo! I don't hate you! Would yo calm down already? I'm annoyed that someone else noticed something so major before me, and you really shouldn't let outside feelings effect your work, but I'm not mad at you. Sly people like that are everywhere. You should learn to guard yourself from manipulative tactics like that. Actually no, if I recall correctly, those annoying followers of Koenji Erika had mentioned something about her even being able to weave a scheme for Tsuruga Ren. There's no way that man was an easy target, which means she might be more formidable a foe than she looks. I'm not sure I can completely fault you for going up against a strong foe." Kanae huffed in frustration as she thought more and more on the subject.

"I agree," Kyoko mumbled sadly, looking down at her lap. Kanae looked over to the girl with surprise. What was with that reaction? "I don't think Tsuruga-san is easily tricked like that. I can only guess... that he knew and loved her enough to allow her to manipulate him." Kanae stared at the gloomy girl in silence. Didn't Ren like Kyoko? She was was almost 100% positive that the man in question was constantly pursuing her friend. Kyoko had been adamant that it wasn't possible when Kanae suggested it in the past, but the man was constantly doing things that gave him away. So annoying.

"Mo, why are you getting all depressed like that? Even if he  _did_ let that girl do as she pleased, hasn't she shifted her focus to someone else already? Even if she hadn't, are they already in a relationship? I don't care for this kind of thing, but you should go after the things you want. Aren't you the one that told me to fight when I had that demon Erika attacking my dream of being an actress?"

"But Moko-san... to act on these feelings with so little hope for me. I don't know if I could handle the rejection. I don't want to ruin the relationship we have over something hopeless."

"Then don't confess to those feelings." Kanae huffed in annoyance.

"Eh?"

"There are other ways to grab someone's attention rather than outright saying it. What do you think flirting and seduction are for? Seduce him. Make him yours that way."

"Ehhhhhhh?!" Kyoko was bright red now. For one, this was oddly similar to the advice she had given Ren all that time ago. 'Seduce her!' spoke the voice of Bou in her mind, the mental image flashing of him giving Ren a thumbs up. How foolish of her, really. For two..., "How would I even seduce someone like him?" she whimpered. Kanae stared, a little shocked at how quickly Kyoko seemed to be considering it.

"Mo, I'm not getting involved further than this. Figure it out yourself." Kanae said as she swiftly got up, grabbing her things as she walked out.

"What? No! Moko-san! You got to help me! How am I supposed to do that?" she calls as she quickly follows the other girl out of the Love-me room.

"Like I said, figure it out yourself. I don't want to get any more involved. This isn't my business!" she huffed in annoyance. Why should she have to tell the girl how to seduce that man? She would support Kyoko going after the things she wanted, but that didn't mean she wanted to make things easy for  _him._

"Mokoooo~" Kyoko whined, clinging to Kanae as the older girl continued down her path. "Please help! I don't know anything about the art of seduction!" Kanae stopped abruptly and Kyoko smacked into her, dazed a bit as she backed up a couple steps and rubbed her nose. Looking up, she was horrified to see the reason for the abrupt stop. Ren and Yashiro stood before them in the hallway, shock clear on their faces. Ren's face slowly shifted into a bright sparkly smile, making Kyoko shiver in freight.

"What's this about seduction, Mogami-san?"

' _NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_ _'_ Kyoko screamed in her mind, her face frozen with fear and dread.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little something I'm trying out. I've been trying to put myself in the shoes of a lot of different characters lately to help my original work, but something I'm seriously lacking in experience with is positive female interactions. Luckily, Kyoko and Kanae are nowhere near normal, so I think it might be a little easier to pick up on their personalities while exploring this new realm. I really like the idea of Kotonami being a supportive friend. There's a lot of fanfictions that depict her as possessive of Kyoko, but I don't think that's quite right. She's more competitive than possessive, in my opinion, though still very concerned for the well-being of her "rival". She's cute like that.


	2. Your own way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have no claim of ownership over any of these characters.

_'Why is he angry? What could I have done to anger him this time?!'_ Kyoko stressed as her grudge demons started to seek out the negative energy hungrily. There just hadn't been enough fuel for them lately. This man was the source of their doom, as well as their salvation.

"Why are you asking to learn about seduction, Mogami-san?" Ren asked, his sparkles blinding her.

"No, that..." she whimpered and shivered like a small animal, the source of her unease slowly easing a bit as he watched her. Even with him toning back his sparkling smile, she could still feel his displeasure, bubbling just under the surface. "I... Mok... K-Kanae-chan and I were just talking about the kinds of rolls we would likely be asked to perform in the future. It came up that seduction is an important skill as well, but then she refused to explain how one does that." she lied, quickly trying to squirm out of the situation. Kanae looked back at her, eyes flashing accusingly. The older girl had never heard such a blatant lie come from the girl's mouth, and with a relatively convincing expression to boot. The auburn-haired girl looked shy and unsure, easily convincing when coupled with the topic. Oh, she was  _not_ going to forget this.

"I see...," Ren spoke thoughtfully. Kanae's eyes snapped back over to the man, unable to stop the feeling of annoyance coursing through her like fire. Even when wanting to support Kyoko and her decisions, she just couldn't get past her feelings of wanting to gloat and brag and show her superiority when it came to her friend.

"Mo, let's go already. I'll at least help you get the basic understanding." she said, grabbing Kyoko's wrist and pulling her along as they left the two shocked men standing in the hallway.

"Really?! Thank you so much, Moko-san!" Kyoko cried out gleefully.

Yashiro looked to Ren nervously, unable to stop his mind from making all kinds of insinuations from that conversation.

"Don't, Yukihito." Ren warned in a deep voice, as soon as the manager's mouth opened.

"But... you don't suppose those two-..." he snapped his mouth shut with an "Eep!" When Ren send a side-long glare at the man. Satisfied that the other man had been effectively shut down for the time being, Ren turned and headed for the next location, Yashiro dutifully following behind with only a small glance back to where the girls had disappeared.

 

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

 

"Why are we watching a high school drama?" Kyoko asked, frowning lightly. Wasn't this the president's hobby? Was he rubbing off on Kanae-chan? Would she be next?!

"Because this is the fastest way I could think of showing you how to act seductive. There's lots of different ways for a girl to be flirty and seductive, but those different kinds match specific character types. Seduction is like a game of wit. You need to know how and when to move to heighten your chances of being noticed and desired." She explained while Kyoko nodded in understanding. That might be how Morizumi Kimiko had snagged Tsuruga-san's interest! Kyoko paused before wilting a bit at that thought.

"Do you think it's wrong?" Kyoko asked with an uncertain frown.

"What?"

"Playing a game of seduction, isn't it just playing with other people's emotions? I don't want to stoop to the same level as that girl, manipulating Tsuruga-san into liking her. It seems so fickle."

"Tsk, haven't you heard the term 'All's fair in Love and War'? That girl already moved on to a new target. If that guy really even had any feelings for her, you would be doing him a favor, wouldn't you? Do I need to put it into fairy-tail terms for you or something?" Kyoko looked to Kanae with curiosity and the older girl groaned with a roll of her eyes. "Fine! Imagine he's some... I don't know, a prince or something that's been tricked off his path by some conniving witch. If you want him back on the path of clarity and direction,  _you_ have to be the one to do it, otherwise he'll be wandering around in the dark forest for who knows how long. Happy?" Kyoko clasped her hands together as she looked to Kanae with adoration and admiration.

"Moko-san, that was beautiful!" she cried from being so touched. Kanae huffed and motioned to the screen with the drama playing.

"Whatever. The point is, he's wandering around aimlessly by himself, and you want him. So just take him before some other witch comes along! The great think about flirting and seduction, is that you don't have to outright give away your intentions. You leave your target guessing and hoping. You need to find the right form of seduction for your character's personality, though. Too strong, and he'll think you're messing with him. Too soft, and it won't convey the message you want." Kanae explains before pausing the scene. "This character here is using a stronger form of seduction. Touches, those little glances and tiny smiles. chewing her lip to draw attention to it, widening her eyes when she looks at him to make them seem bigger and more innocent. It's very blatant. She's deliberately acting cute, but also staying secretive and deliberately acting oblivious when asked something directly, trying to stay mysterious and leave her target curious and hoping. This doesn't really fit you, but you can take a couple little things from it. Do tiny gestures to draw attention to your good points. You can draw attention to your mouth by biting it a little or wetting them with your tongue. Some characters use candy to that effect, usually lollipops. Guys go crazy over lollipops." Kanae rolled her eyes at that.

"I don't think Tsuruga-san cares for sweets much, Moko-san." Kyoko says uncertainly. She had never asked him directly, but he just hadn't struck her as the type. Maybe it was his physique. You couldn't take in a lot of excess sugar if you wanted to stay so perfectly fit like that.

"What? No! It's not for them to eat! Guys like it because...," did she  _really_ have to explain this? One look at Kyoko's innocent expression and Kanae sighed as she resigned herself to her fate. This is what she got for offering up her time and home for 'Girl talk' and 'sleepovers'. "The tongue,  _the TOUNGUE, woman_ _!_ Guys like to see a girl using her tongue!" Kyoko scrunched up her nose as she frowned.

"Why?"

"UGH! Really! Why do I have to explain this kind of thing to you? Sex, it makes them think about  _sex_. Men are easily influenced by sexual desires! 'Thinking with the wrong head' and all that!"

"The wrong head?"

"You know what? Forget it. This kind of thing isn't suited for your kind of personality, anyway. You're such an innocent type that.... Actually no... That... that might work!" Kanae's face slowly adopted a somewhat sadistic smirk, laughing darkly. It was perfect. Kyoko would get to attempt seduction, all while undoubtedly torturing that man. She almost wished she could see it play out.  _Almost!_ "Kyoko!" Kanae whipped around and grabbed the younger girl's shoulders with almost a bit of urgency.

"Y-yes?"

"This is something you should ask Tsuruga Ren directly!" Kyoko's face went red as her eyes widened in horror.

"What?! I couldn't do that! It would be too embarrassing!" The smirk on Kanae's face widened.

"You might think it would be embarrassing for you, but I bet you  _anything,_ that man will be far more embarrassed than you. Don't you want to see him squirm? He might even blush and stutter!"

"Tsuruga-san wouldn't-"

"Any man would! Even fathers have difficulty when asked something on this topic from their daughters. The embarrassment and uncertainty is only enhanced when it's someone closer to your age! Don't you want to see how he would react?" Kanae was chuckling darkly again, but Kyoko was too lost in her thoughts to notice or care. She wanted answers, and... it  _would_ be interesting to see how Tsuruga-san would act in response to such questions. Slowly, she nodded her agreement.

"Alright, I'll try it."

"Great!" Now she had fulfilled her best friend duty as consultant, AND she didn't have to explain such embarrassing topics! Ah, she was such a genius sometimes.

 

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

 

Why did she have to say that she would do this?! Kyoko had managed to arrange a day she could make dinner for Tsuruga-san under her go-to excuse of wanting advice on something -making sure not to say what exactly- but with the night getting later and the dinner almost ready, she was getting more and more unsure of herself.

"So, Mogami-san, what was it you wanted to ask me about?" Ren asked pleasantly as the sat down at the table to eat in the living room. Kyoko fidgeted in her spot timidly as she poked at her food.

"Well... I was talking to Moko-er... Kanae-chan last week, and she brought up a lot of things I didn't quite understand. She didn't really explain it well, so I'm still really confused, and I thought that maybe you could help me understand it better." she says a bit vaguely. Ren hummed and nodded his understanding.

"Of course, Mogami-san, I'm always happy to help if I'm able." he says, happy to be someone she felt she could confide in and come to for advice.

"What does it mean when people say men think with the wrong head?" Ren spat out the water he had been drinking, silence falling as Kyoko stared with wide eyes at her frozen mentor. She had never thought she would see an actual spit take in real life, and yet here she was. Ren didn't move for a solid two minutes before his glass hit the table with a 'thunk' and he turned a wide-eyed gaze to her. Kyoko blinked, curious at the faint blush that was slowly growing on his cheeks.  _'Wow,'_ she thought,  _'what a cute expression.'_

"M-Mogami-san," Ren cleared his throat quickly, but she had already heard how unsteady his voice had been, "That... Why do you need to know such a thing?" She watched him with a mixture of curiosity and awe. She was glad Moko had convinced her to ask Tsuruga-san. The sight before her... this was a side of him she still had never seen before now.

"Well, Kanae-san said that there were characters that use candy and such, like lollipops, to draw the eye to their mouths and tongues to make them look more sexy and sensual. Something about it reminding men of sex." she said thoughtfully, plowing ahead with the plan in hopes of seeing more interesting reactions, even though she could feel her own face heating up in embarrassment at the topic. Ren wasn't even drinking this time, but he starting having a coughing fit anyway. "Eh?! Tsuruga-san, are you okay?" she quickly rushed over to him, patting his back quickly. "Are you choking?" He quickly held up a hand and shook his head in response before resting his elbows on the table and burying his face in his hands. Kyoko blinked and hunched over in an attempt to look up at him, staring with surprise and silent glee as she saw that the man was a vibrant red.

"And... Why are you coming to ask me these things, Mogami-san?" he asked, his voice muffled by his hands as he desperately tried to plow forward.

"Well, because we had been talking about how men work. Not only is Tsuruga-san a man, but has a vast amount of wisdom, right?" She didn't want to throw her friend under the bus and say Moko had suggested it, and she certainly didn't want to admit she had agreed simply due to the promise that she would get to see something interesting of Tsuruga-san. A heavy sigh spilled from the man and Kyoko started to worry that perhaps this hadn't been a good idea after all. He seemed quite troubled by the topic, actually. Just as she was about to apologize for bringing up the topic, Ren slowly lifted his head and smoothed back his hair, showing a somewhat more tame blush while his eyes found a strange interest in the ceiling. Kyoko marveled at how quickly he had managed to control his face from that bright blush, though she could still see hints of it brushing his cheeks.

"Those things... are a bit of a mature topic, Mogami-san." he said uncertainly. Kyoko frowned lightly.

"Could it be that Tsuruga-san is seeing me as a child?" She asked, sounding a bit displeased. And she was. No girl wanted to be seen as a child by the guy she liked. She wanted to be seen as a woman. Ren looked at her with shock.

"No, I didn't..." he stopped for a moment. He somewhat had, hadn't he? "You're only a high school student." he explained, the excuse sounding flimsy even to him. High school was far past the time that a lot of teens started to grow curious of the mature world. Hell, he had learned of these things in his early years of middle school. Kyoko... she was so innocent and ignorant, but perhaps that was a consequence of her isolation. Her father had been absent, and Ren would be downright surprised if Kyoko's mother had bothered to teach her anything, let alone give 'the talk'. The bastard's parents might have taken on the responsibility of caring for her, but that didn't mean they would explain things like puberty and sex to her. He didn't even know if Japanese households discussed that topic with their children. Was that just an American thing? He didn't know. It was certainly more likely to have been talked about among peers in private.... which Ren realized she also did not have a lot of interaction in. Damn it, why couldn't Kotonami-san have just explained everything properly? Ren let out another heavy sigh as he rested his chin in his propped up hand this time. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult you, Mogami-san. I was just taken a bit off guard. You really want to hear about something like this from me?" he asked, looking to the girl. As if to further torture him, she bit her bottom lip softly and nodded. God, he really  _must_ be cursed by all the fates. Ren ran a hand over his face in an attempt to bid his time and sooth his nerves a bit. "Alright, where to start. Yes, men are often swayed easily by sexual desires. A lot of women use this to their advantage by doing things to trigger that desire, raising their popularity or manipulating men into doing what they want. Men sometimes do these kinds of things too, but usually they have different methods than women on how they manipulate and seduce. It's essentially the more primal part of seeking out partners, like how animals in the wild use different tactics to attract a mate and ensure the survival of their species. Humans have such a high population that extinction is highly improbable, but I think now it's become something more centered on our desire for companionship. Even with so many people in the world, it's still surprisingly easy for someone to feel lonely." He explained, a somewhat pained look flashing in his eyes for a moment. Kyoko hummed lightly as she thought on that.

"Lonely in a crowded room. I think I understand that." she muses. Ran smiled lightly at her as he nodded his agreement. "So then, what does 'thinking with the wrong head' mean? I know based off of context that it's referring to boys, but I don't really understand it." Ren's chin slipped out of his hand and he face planted onto the table.  _'This girl is going to be the death of me'_. He thought mournfully. "Ts-Tsuruga-san?" she called out nervously. A thousand-year-sigh poured from his lips and Kyoko seriously started to worry. He seemed to be doing that a lot tonight.

"Mogami-san..."

"Y-Yes!" she answered nervously when he tapered off, still not lifting his head from the table. This was very amusing to see her senior like this, but she really was starting to grow worried. Was this a really difficult topic after all?

"Do you know what the difference between a male and female?" Kyoko blinked in confusion.

"Well... I know that they have different reproductive organs." she says slowly, feeling a bit embarrassed to discuss such private things with a man. With Moko-san, it would be a simple discussion. With Tsuruga-san... she found her eyes trailing down to a less appropriate place. She hadn't really spent a lot of time thinking about those things in the past, but she had the basic knowledge that anyone her age would understand. Male mammals had testis and a penis. Female mammals had breasts, a womb, ovaries, and all that really embarrassing stuff down there. Even middle school kids knew how to tell the difference between a boy and a girl dog, which was obviously not so different from any other animal, including humans.

"To put it simply," Ren was still seeking from the table, refusing to lift his head. Kyoko was grateful that he hadn't seen how she was leering at him indecently. "Men have a penis... the tip of the penis is called the head. When referring to a man thinking with the wrong head, you are stating that he is thinking with his sexual urges and desire to f... it have sex rather than with his logic and reasoning. Does that make sense?" His voice sounded a bit shaky. Kyoko couldn't even get her own voice out. It was like something was stuck in her throat. Ren finally shifted his head to look at her, still resting it on the table as he observed her beet red face. He chuckled softly and her eyes snapped over to glare at him. She couldn't stay mad at him, though, not when he looked so cute with his own red cheeks and that precious smile. Her grudges cowered from the warmth of his smile, but Kyoko basked in it, offering her own tiny smile in return.

"I guess I've brought up a really strange subject." she says timidly. Ren let out another chuckle, one Kyoko now recognized was one of joy instead of teasing.

"Well, I wouldn't really call it strange. Most people become curious about these things sooner or later. It's a bit uncommon for someone to have so little understanding at your age, but I doubt that's your fault. I... I'm happy to help you with anything you don't understand, even if it's a more embarrassing topic like this."  _'I would rather she come to me than go asking some other man.'_ he thinks with determination. Kotonami Kanae and other girls were one thing, but things that needed male insight were best brought to him, he decided.

The two soon settled back at their plates, the food a little cold now, but they hardly noticed as their minds swam with the conversation. Ren eventually turned on the tv to combat the silence, but all it did was allow more room for the both of them to stay quiet with their thoughts.

 

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

 

"And then?" Kanae prompted, smoothing out the facial mask for the beauty routine they were trying together at the little sleepover.

"Then we pretty much ate without saying a word to one another. Tsuruga-san had to turn on the television just to give the room some white noise until we managed to pick up some small talk about our jobs." Kyoko stated with a huff, her face feeling warm from recounting the whole ordeal to her friend. She had been really excited when Kanae offered to have her over for a sleep-over so they could have another one of their "girl talks", but so far it had mostly been the older girl inquiring on how her attempt to seduce Tsuruga-san with her innocence had gone. Kanae had gotten an amused smirk on her face more than a couple times while being told the story, even letting out a laugh here and there. What was so funny about her awkward situation anyway? "Moko-san, I admit that it was really fun seeing how Tsuruga-san reacted, and I'm happy to have gotten to see such cute faces on him, but how exactly is this seducing?" Kyoko asked with a frown. Kanae huffed and waved her hand flippantly.

"One tactic of seduction is innocence. It's usually a really annoying and cheep tactic, but for you... I guess it's more accurate to say you're sheltered instead of cutesy, so you can get away with it without it being annoying and fake. Lots of men go for that kind of thing. It stirs the manly desire to protect or something." she rolled her eyes at that. Really, what a lame and cliche trope. Even so, it stemmed from some kind of truth.

"Do you think Tsuruga-san likes that kind of thing?" Kyoko asked. It did somewhat fall in line with the tactics she heard Kimiko used to try and appeal to men. She didn't really like the idea of following in that vile girl's footsteps, but if that was the kind of thing Tsuruga-san was in to.... She shook her head quickly. "I don't think I should do this kind of thing, Moko-san."

"What do you mean?"

"Like... I think it's wrong to act like a different person just to capture his attention. If I'm going to have him, I want him to want me for me." Kyoko said sadly. Kanae huffed in annoyance.

"Mo, that's why we went with this way. Did you have to act like a different person for this?" Kyoko stared at the still unopened script in her hands for a moment before shaking her head.

"I had to push myself a little in some parts, but I didn't try to act like a different person or anything."

"See? I'm not telling you to be someone you're not for the sake of love and all that bull-shit. We're strategizing and using your strengths for the pursuit of your desires. As for Tsuruga Ren's interests, I'm sure he'll be thinking about that conversation for months." She grinned mischievously. Who knew that helping her friend pursue a love interest could be so sadistically fun against the man in question? "We should start planning our next attack so he can't recover fully. We'll keep hitting him with out tactics until he'll have no choice but to beg for your affections." Kanae chuckled that dark chuckle of hers while Kyoko lightly picked at the edges of her face mask. Hadn't these been on for long enough already?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mwahaha, this was really fun to write. My favorite pictures are when Ren gets absolutely stunned by Kyoko.
> 
> I'm pretty sure cursing warrants the rating to be Teen and up, but I'm not really sure if their conversation passed a boundary with that. I don't think this really warrants a mature ranking, but... some people might be sensitive to the word penis or something? I don't really know. I started exploring a curiosity in these kinds of things from a young age, and it's not like they actually DID anything. I think this is the kind of understanding conversation I would have liked growing up. Curiosity is natural, and I don't think people should have to feel ashamed of things that are natural....


	3. Sweet poison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyoko is still getting a grasp of this whole "seduction" thing, and it's driving Ren crazy. She's getting awfully good at pushing his buttons.  
> This chapter is mostly for self-gratification, I think. Kyoko's getting bolder, and Ren is too used to keeping the slow pace that he's having trouble keeping up with her sudden sprint.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own any of these characters.

Ren was pretty sure at this point that Kyoko was doing this on purpose, not that it made it any easier to handle. He noticed right away when she picked up the new habit, gently touching his arm occasionally and often standing just a bit closer to him than was typically considered friendly. He had to restrain himself from inhaling the scent of her shampoo at least four times in the past week. It was like the personal space she kept between them had been cut in half, and it was driving him crazy.

He could tell she was forcing herself a bit, her cheeks flushing a bit with every little invasion of his space. The problem was, he couldn’t understand  _why_ she was doing this. The most he could gather was that it had something to do with her recent conversations and increased hang-outs with Kotonami-san. Luckily, she hadn’t tried to ask him anything pertaining to men’s anatomy and desires after that dinner last week, but this little game she had picked up... he felt like a dog chained to a post, a bowl of water just barely out of reach. On one hand, he could respond and let her know what a dangerous game she was playing, but on the other hand... if he didn’t drive her off, she would keep doing those things. It was torture, and he loved it. ‘ _I guess the president is right after all. Maybe I really am a masochist.’_ One worrying thought had come to mind a couple of times. What would happen should the chain break? He didn't want to think he would attack her. Even if he was a monster, he liked to believe he had enough sense to not let his primal desires get the better of him. Even so, he could very easily see himself taking it a little too far. She hadn't been able to focus at all just from him giving her a kiss on the cheek back at valentines day a couple months ago. He could only imagine what would happen if he allowed himself to... Actually, she had responded fairly well to him kissing her full on the mouth as 'Corn'.... Why was that? Ren frowned in deep thought.

Why were these reactions so contradicting? A little kiss on the cheek sent her into a flurry, but getting a full-on kiss on the mouth had her running off to tell his alter-ego about it, completely in control with herself. Was it a show of how much she had matured in such a short time? She certainly had matured a great deal sense then, but he couldn't bring himself to simply brush the difference in her reactions off as nothing. He crossed his arms as he leaned against the wall in the love-me room, his frown deepening slightly as he waited for the girl. He didn't know which side of him was jealous. Maybe both? How ridiculous. Kuon was jealous that Ren was able to get such a major reaction from her. Ren was jealous that she was so accepting of Kuon's slightly more intimate act, not to mention that he got to kiss her unabashedly at all. Ren let out a huff and ran a hand over his face, rolling his eyes at himself as he contemplated the internal struggle.

"I must be going crazy. I'm a crazy moron." he grumbled to himself in annoyance.

"I don't thing Tsurauga-san is crazy _or_ a moron." Ren straightened instantly at hearing that voice, his gaze snapping down to lock with amber eyes and a cute little smirk as the girl stood just within his personal space once again, bending sideways slightly in a show of cuteness. He didn't dare let his mind tell him that smirk was trying to be seductive. Kyoko wasn't the kind of girl to try and seduce someone. She despised love and everything that went around it.... Except that he knew for a fact that there had been recent conversations between her and Kotonami-san about that very topic. She must be playing with him, maybe getting in practice for future acting gigs she was likely to get.  _'Better me than some other man'_ his mind supplied, making him heave a heavy sigh and a shake of his head. Looking to the adorable seductress, Ren smiled brightly at her, desperately hiding his feelings.

"Good evening, Mogami-san." Kyoko frowned in response, her eyes flickering over his face several times.

"Why are you mad?"

"I'm not mad."

"Then why are you using that smile right now? Don't try to put on that shocked and confused 'I don't know what you're talking about' expression!" Kyoko scolds and pouts up at him with a look of frustration. Ren's face fell into a softer smile as she squinted at him and crossed her own arms, obviously trying to figure out if he was still trying to put up some act. "I'm not late. In fact, I'm ten minutes early." she informed him, apparently coming to the conclusion that it was the most likely reason for his vexation. Ren nodded his understanding but made no move to head out yet. He didn't want to pull away from the girl, but he wouldn't allow himself to reach out and touch her either. He tightened his crossed arms and watched as her eyes flicked down to them. His mind swirled with wonder on what could be going through her mind when she reached out and his eyes widened in disbelief at her advancement, a look of curiosity and concentration on her face.

Kyoko's dainty hand fell onto his bicep before slowly sliding upward toward his shoulder. His breath hitched and her eyes flicked up to his face curiously, that adorable blush starting to show faintly on her cheeks. He tried to put on a neutral expression, not wanting to scare her away, but he couldn't help but gaze at her with wide-eyed wonder as he felt her hand squeeze his arm slightly, feeling the muscle under his shirt.

"You seem tense, Tsuruga-san." she spoke soft and slow, her voice just a little shaky in her nervousness. He knew she wasn't doing this out of interest for him personally. She probably just wanted to learn how to do these things in case it was asked of her in a script or something. Even with his insistent mental denials, his knees felt weak. His mouth and lips felt so damn dry. Did someone turn off the AC in the building? It was getting kind of hot and hard to breath. His vision tunneled slightly as he gazed down at her, noting the hint of surprise in her eyes and the soft blush starting to color her cheeks beautifully. Kyoko's little pink tongue slowly poked out to wet her own lips, his gaze instantly locking on the little action. God, he wanted to kiss her so badly. The corner of her lips tweaked up slightly and she leaned in closer to him as she noticably grew more confident in her actions. Was she acting as some character? His mind felt so hazy as her scent filled his nose. She was so close to him. So, so close to him. Her free hand reached up to lightly fiddle with the tips of his hair, then her fingers buried themselves there, threading through the stands and gently scratching at his scalp. He couldn't resist her. His eyes rolled closed.

Kyoko watched with awe at the effect she was managing to have on her senpai. He was breathing just a little harder than usual, and 'The Emperor of the Night' had made an appearance soon after she grabbed his arm. She instantly noticed how his eyes caught on her lips when she tried licking them. She was so embarrassed to even try and use that trick, but the payoff had been invigorating. Now, with her hands buried in his amazingly soft hair, she was enjoying watching as his eyes slid shut in one of the most erotic expressions she had ever seen. What to do from here, though. She lightly fiddled with his hair some more, growing more uncertain by the minute but knowing that the effect would shatter if she froze up now. _'Improvise, Kyoko! You got this far! Look at him... ooh, look at him.'_ Kyoko chewed her bottom lip as she took in his expression, clearly lost in the bliss of her hands in his hair. His eyes started to crack open again, looking down at her heatedly and she knew she needed to move quickly if she wanted to keep this hold she had managed to get on him. _'THINK! What was another thing that Moko-san said could drive a man crazy? Body contact... NO! Too advanced! But...'_ Her eyes flicked to the opening he often had in his shirt. That might just be tame enough... and she had touched his chest before, though it had been under the guise of the Heel siblings.

The hand in his hair slid down, keeping contact by smoothing down his neck before finding it's place on the bare skin of his chest. He felt so hot to the touch, and his heart was thrumming heavily while muscles twitched under her fingertips with every minuscule movement. Her eyes rose to find him looking at her with a hooded gaze, hot and heavy and sending thrilling shivers down her spine, pooling warmth in her gut. She couldn't help but freeze this time, captured by the look in his deep brown eyes. She felt his chest rise and fall a bit more as he took in a larger breath, then his hand slowly rose and found it's place over hers on his chest, holding it there.

"Mogami-san," His voice was deep and husky, and she found herself wishing he would call out her given name that way instead. The mere thought sent more pleasurable tingles down her spine. "Why are you trying to torture me? A man can only take so much, you know?" Kyoko's own breath hitched as her hand twitched under his.

"Is this... torture?" she asked timidly. Ren's lips slowly pulled into a smirk as he leaned toward her, still holding her hand to his chest. She couldn't escape if she wanted to.

"It's the sweetest poison I've ever had to resist." Kyoko's mind swirled. What did that mean?! Sweet poison? Resisting... she somewhat understood that meant he was resisting... her she supposed, or maybe the things she was doing? But she couldn't understand what any of that had to do with poison, sweet or otherwise! Ren watched the girl as her mind swirled, her head even bobbing a bit as she clearly tried to get a grasp of his words. He chuckled and finally released her hand, feeling a slight chill as it fell limply to her side, clarity coming with it in a similar fashion as a cold shower. "Come on, Mogami-san, Yashiro will be waiting for us at the studio." She numbly nodded as she followed him like a lost lamb to the car.

She would need to gather her wits before she faced Yashiro, lest he ask about her extremely distracted state when they arrived where he said he would meet them. She noticed that he already left her and Ren alone any chance he got, and it worried her that the manager might have figured out her feelings for Ren. The actor hadn't started treating her differently, aside from the reactions to her own seduction attempts, but it was almost worse to think the shared manager might tell him at any given time! Kanae had speculated that it likely meant he was rooting for her from the sidelines, but it still felt like a dangerous road to walk. The older man was Ren's manager first, after all, even if he stuck with her more than the senior actor... most likely because she was incapable of driving herself and Ren was.

 

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

 

"I just don't understand! What does he mean by 'Sweet poison'?" Kyoko wailed as Kanae threaded her fingers through her auburn hair, applying the leave-in conditioner. It had already become a thing for them to try all kinds of beauty routines and ideas during their sleepovers and girl talks. Actresses had to try to look their absolute bast at any given time, after all.

"Isn't it a metaphor?" Kanae supplied. Kyoko groaned loudly in response.

"I somewhat understood that, but what does it _mean_? Poison means killing someone, so he thinks I'm trying to kill him? Is it like the 'sweet release of death' or something? So he's resisting my seduction tactics because he thinks I'm actually trying to kill him in some roundabout way?" Kyoko shook her head and Kanae scowled, forcefully holding the head in place.

"Mo, don't move! I'm only doing this because you helped me get mine in all even and thorough." she states. Kyoko straightens up and holds herself as still as a statue, marveling at the small amount of 'feminine bonding' that her best friend was allowing at the moment. "As for what it means, it probably means he thinks he'll be harmed if he accepts your seduction. Someone has to drink a poison for them to be harmed by it. It's sweet because it's tempting."

"I never pegged Tsuruga-san to like sweet things, though. That's one of the reasons I didn't want to get him chocolate for val... for vain-day." Kyoko mumbled thoughtfully. Kanae groaned in annoyance.

"Once again, you're taking these things too literally. 'Sweet' has been used to describe something tempting or seemingly innocent in lots of literature, especially when it's geared toward a male audience. Things like 'sweet scent', 'sweet embrace', 'speaking sweet nothings', to list a few. In this case, it sounds like he's saying that he sees something that could destroy him, but it's incredibly tempting despite that knowledge, so he's having to work hard to resist that temptation." the older girl explained simply. Kyoko twisted around to face Kanae, hands clasped together with sparkles of admiration in her eyes.

"As expected of Moko-san! You're so knowledgeable and well-read!"

"Kyoko-chan!" they were interrupted by a knock at the door, the Okamii-san poking her head in when Kyoko responded. "I'm sorry to interrupt you and your friend during your chat, but I wanted to make sure you ate some dinner." Today Kanae had come to have the sleepover at her place. Kyoko was quite excited about it. Looking to her friend with a secret smile, Kyoko pondered her answer.

"Maybe something with a sweeter taste?" Kanae couldn't help the responding smile at the new little inside joke.

 

Kyoko gave Kanae a brief run-down of her recent attack on Ren, though she made sure not to gush too much on the details of how he reacted. She had found out after her first two reports that Kanae didn't want anything too personal, just clip-notes.

"I think He might like being petted." Kyoko mused. Kanae glared at Kyoko with distaste, taking in the confused expression of the younger girl before she sighed, realizing Kyoko likely didn't understand the full implications that could be attached to that statement.

"You mean he likes having his hair played with?" Kanae verifies, resuming her meal. Kyoko nodded eagerly.

"It was like... when an especially cuddly cat gets scratched in it's favorite spot under the chin or something. His eyes just sort of rolled closed, you know." Kanae gagged lightly before glaring at Kyoko. She had not wanted to have such a vivid image of that man enjoying himself explained to her.

"One, I did not need you to paint a full picture for me. Ugh. Two, I would say you found an erogenous zone."

"Erogen...?" Kyoko trailed off and tilted her head. Kanae sighed heavily.

"Think about the word. It somewhat sounds like the word 'Erotic' right?" Kyoko's eyes widened and Kanae nodded to confirm the question in Kyoko's eyes. "Everyone's is different, but it basically a place where you find pleasurable to be touched. Of course, there is some consistency to it. Genitals are a sure-fire place, but I'm not going to explain that to you. You can read plenty of trashy romance novels or whatever if you want to learn about that. Or, even more fun, go ask Tsuruga Ren about it personally again." Kanae cackled a bit at the thought of him being assaulted by Kyoko's embarrassing personal questions again. Kyoko fervently denied that option, so Kanae let it drop. "It's good to find one of those pleasure spots when seducing someone. It dominates their senses and draws all of their attention to you. It ties in a lot to that 'bodily contact' I told you about, though, which means it's a bit more risky to try. For girl's, a common tactic is stuff like acting all innocent while they sit in the man's lap, sense the groin is one of those consistent erogenous zones that every male has." Kyoko turned bright red at that, shaking her head wildly.

"So obscene! I couldn't do something so blatant and vulgar!" she cried in distress.

"Mo! You don't have any need to!"

"Eh?"

"If he has a think for having his hair played with, you can go with that. It's an innocent enough place, far away from more intimate places, and you can fain innocence if he calls you out on it, saying something like 'it's just so soft' or some pretty bullshit."

"It is soft." Kanae rolled her eyes.

"Cool, awesome, there's your excuse, then. The only thing you have to figure out now, is how to get your hands in his hair in a natural way. If you try to just go up and shove your hands against his head, it would be like some guy coming up at groping your breasts out of nowhere. Not sexy, not a turn-on in the least. At most, it's jarring and disturbing." Kyoko's eyes widened with horror at that. Doing that kind of thing to Tsuruga-san was the equivalent of touching a girl's breasts? And she had so blatantly done that to him!

 

VAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAVAV

 

 "I sincerely apologize, Tsuruga-san!" Kyoko was currently bowing deeply on the floor before her senior, the man in question finding himself baffled and confused for the thousandth time by the girl.

"Er... Mogami-san, I'm not sure I know what you're apologizing to me for." Ren says uncertainly. Yashiro watched on with curiosity.

"Yes, I apologize for touching you in such a blatant and vulgar manner!" Yashiro had an expression that was the perfect mixture of euphoric and scandalized. Ren smiled nervously down at the girl, deliberately ignoring the dramatic manager behind him. He needed to quickly clear up this misunderstanding before Yashiro started squealing in delight and/or berating him for doing naughty things with Kyoko. Ren knelt down before her, trying to prompt her to sit up at least.

"M-Mogami-san, It's nothing for you to apologize about, especially so adamantly. It was only my chest."

"Yes, I was referring to your erogenous zone!" Ren froze up, not really understanding what she was talking about. He didn't even need to turn around to know that Yashiro was nearly at his limit. How had this gotten so much worse.

"W-what erogenous zone are you talking about, Mogami-san?" he asks, now afraid of just what kind of thing she would say. Would this only serve to heighten the misunderstanding more? Kyoko looked up, a mournful look on her face.

"When I started petting Tsuruga-san's head and he seemed to enjoy it. I was unaware that I was doing something so indecent, touching a place akin to a woman's...." she stopped and blushed, looking away quickly. Ren was downright floored. He didn't know what she was likening petting his head to that related to something apparently very private on a woman, but he knew that she had somehow gotten her information mixed up. Thankfully, Yashiro seemed to have realized that his fantasies of whatever may have happened were mislead. Slowly, Ren tried to figure out the best way to fix the current situation.

"Mogami-san, you must have misunderstood something somewhere. I can hardly say a person's head is something private or indecent to touch." he tells her softly. Kyoko sniffled lightly as she refused to meet his eyes, sitting on the ground still but at least no longer bowing to him.

"Even if the head is not private, it's not right for someone to take advantage and touch such a sensitive part of a person without permission. If one of Tsuruga-san's erogenous zones is his head, I shouldn't go about petting and playing with your hair without a care. I don't want to be a molester." Ren stared at the girl quietly until she couldn't take the silence anymore, timidly peaking over to him from the corner of her eyes. Ren gave a soft smile and carefully took her hand, pulling it up and placing it on his head. Kyoko's eyes widened and her face went red as her fingers threaded through the silky strands once again. "Ts-Ts-Ts-Tsuruga-san! D-doing these things in such a public place.... Do you have no sense of decency? What if someone were to see?" She objects, her fingers instinctively curling into the strands as she tried to pulls away. Her face turned mortified as she saw his eyes flutter slightly when she accidentally tugged his hair, but he was still holding her hand in place.

"I'm telling you, Mogami-san, this isn't something scandalous. Even if my head is sensitive, it's not something perverted. If your worried about getting permission, I'll tell you now that I'm happy to allow you to touch my hair as much as you like, as long as it doesn't get in the way of work." Kyoko stared at Ren, wide-eyed and slack-jawed while she vaguely noticed Yashiro scampering off somewhere. There he went again, giving them privacy at the first chance. Kyoko couldn't tell if she was thankful for it or not at the moment. Her eyes locked with Ren's again before she lowered her gaze, blushing at the reassuring smile he was sending her. Slowly, she reached up with her other hand and burried that into his hair as well, the man bowing it before her to give better access while she ran her fingers through it again and again. It really was... so incredibly soft. She started smoothing back his hair again, tucking it behind his ears gently, her finger slowing as it traced the outside of his ear, memorizing it's shape all over again. Her eyes widened as she saw her senpai shiver slightly, his breath catching softly. That was an even stronger reaction than when she had discovered the sensitivity of his head yesterday! Her finger came around and traced the outside of his ear gently again, causing him to react even stronger this time before his hand shot up and grabbed her wrist, stopping her from doing it a third time.

"M-maybe... don't do that one in public." he tells her, looking up at the girl with a small smile and a soft blush that betrayed his embarrassment. Kyoko stared at him with curiosity. Ren started to feel a bit nervous.

"I can do it in private?" The man was floored, staring at the girl with shock. He didn't know if it was a good idea, but he found himself numbly nodding his approval to her. The adorable blush and smile she provided in return made him feel like he was both blessed and cursed by the same token.


	4. To get what you want

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kanae thinks Kyoko needs to start being more agressive in her pursuit. It's doubtful that Ren would mind no matter what Kyoko gives him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own any of "Skip Beat!"

"I don't know, Moko-san. It's so... forward." Kyoko said hesitantly, applying the trial moisturizer under her eyes as she sat on the guest futon before Kanae's bed. Apparently it was supposed to help with bags and dark circles. She was better rested now than she used to, but she still felt a bit self-conscious about it. It couldn't hurt to try a sample product though.

"Mo, you said he's been sticking closer to you lately, right? You keep finding him staring at you, he's responding to your flirting, and he's compliments your appearance at least once a day! What more could you want as a sign to strike?" Kanae huffs in annoyance, throwing her hands up to show her irritation with the younger girl.

"But Moko, those kinds of things don't matter to Tsuruga-san. He's kind and friendly to everyone, and personal space has hardly been an issue for him. He's a playboy!" Kanae looked at Kyoko like she was sprouting gibberish.

"I'm just going to break this down into pieces. One, we're not talking about being kind and friendly. We are talking about the things _you_ told me about specifically; smirking, little shoulder and back touches, inviting you out to eat, irregardless of his manager's presence. You said yourself that he's a private person. Those aren't things you do out of courtesy or kindness. Those are things you do because you want to _be around that person_. Would you just go up and ask Sawara-san to have lunch with you?" Kyoko frowned lightly as she pondered that.

"I... I wouldn't mind it, really."

"No. No. No, I'm asking if you would go out and _ask_ him to go out and eat with you."

"Well... no, I guess not." Kyoko amended. Kanae nodded her approval.

"There you go. You don't have anything against him, and you're friendly enough to not mind him, but you wouldn't go out of your way like Tsuruga Ren has been doing for you."

"But... that doesn't mean he sees me romantically, Moko-san! I would gladly ask you out to dinner every day!"

"Which brings us to my next point. Personal space. You may be willing to fling yourself at me every chance you get, but that guy is much more reserved. Do you ever see him doing that with his manager? Do you see him getting friendly with anyone else?" Kyoko thought hard on that, frowning deeply before slowly shaking her head in the negative.

"Well... no..., but..."

"Do you see him staring at other girls when you two are together?"

"No-"

"Does he compliment your waitresses on their appearance when you go out? Talk about another woman? Talk about other men?"

"Not really, it's usually stuff about work. But Moko-"

"I just want you to look at this logically, Kyoko." Kanae wouldn't let her object. "You say you want to grab his attention, but then you brush it aside when you get it. You say you want his affections, but you refuse to accept them. You _say_  that you like him and want him, but you're unwilling to take the finally steps to claim him as yours. I'm all for supporting you in what you want, but you have to be willing to _take_ them. I'm not going to hold your hand through this. You need to have the resolve to do it yourself, otherwise I feel like your heart isn't really in it, and this is just something that'll waste both our time." Kyoko looked down at that, pouting and fiddling with her hands in her lap.

"But..., to try and do something like touching him more.... What if he doesn't like it?" Kanae wanted to roll her eyes so badly, but settled for staring intensely at the auburn-haired girl. As if Tsuruga Ren would dislike being touched by the spunky teen. Kanae hadn't even had to see the most recent developments to know that the man was overly-concerned with Kyoko, that he was practically rolling like a dog at her feet and begging for her to pay him the tiniest amount of attention. It was irritating seeing him so happy for the past several weeks due to _her_ advice to Kyoko but..., the excitement of the younger girl every time they had one of these talks to discuss her life and relationship made it so worth it. Kanae hadn't ever cared for the flaky and silly tropes for girls, but it was worth it if it made Kyoko smile so brightly.

"Look, you can take it slow, try the water first instead of diving right in. Use your uncertainty about the offer to get him alone, then try getting closer to him. Who knows? Maybe he'll actually pick up on one of your signals and approach you first." Kyoko frowned lightly in response, feeling a bit nervous at the prospect. She had seen 'The Emperor of the Night' more times than she cared to count since starting this whole thing. Could she really have snagged his attention so easily? Hadn't he been hopelessly in love? Was he so heartbroken over that girl that it was so easy to swoop in and snatch him up?

"I... I'll try."

 

* * *

 

Kyoko bustled about the kitchen merrily. She could feel his gaze bearing into her even as she deliberately ignored him and busied herself with dinner. She hadn’t done anything yet, but maybe he was feeling weary of her. She was still trying to figure out if that was a good thing or not. Moko said it would mean he’s being aware of her when she sent a text asking about it earlier, but Kyoko was worried that meant he wouldn’t let her get any closer to him.

She took a peek at him from her peripheral, finding him leaning against the entranceway to the kitchen, arms crossed and watching her still. She smiled as she continued her work. At least he wasn’t avoiding her. The next time she peaked at him, he was standing by the table. She held in her giggles as she likened him to a cat once again in her head. Would that make her his prey? She was the one that was supposed to be hunting him though, seducing and all that.

”What are you making?” She startled slightly as his voice came from just behind her and to the right, only having to turn her head a little to find him peeking over her shoulder. God, he had come up so silently. His deep brown eyes slid to look back at her, a tiny smile pulling at his lips as she explained what each of the items on the stove were. She noticed when he took half a step closer to her, standing barely a couple inches away. Her body buzzed excitedly, knowing that she could lean back a little and be against his chest. _‘Strategize, Kyoko. You can’t be too obvious if you want the excuse of being friendly should it take a bad turn. That’s what Moko taught you. Strategize until he can't help but notice you.’_ She reminded herself, focusing on taking deep even breaths for a moment.

”Mogami-San....” his soft call had her turning to look at him again, both thrilled and panicked as she fell into the very chest she had been fantasizing about seconds ago. His hands came up to steady her by holding her arms as she timidly looked up to him. "You've been strange lately. Care to talk to me about it?" Kyoko felt the panic fill her completely and her eyes shifted away.

"Wha-what do you mean, Tsuruga-san?"

"Mogami-san," she shrunk away from him slightly as she looked up at him with timidity. He had a concerned expression on as his eyes flicked over her face. "Why have you been trying to seduce me as of late?" he asked more directly and her breath hitched. He _had_ noticed. Kyoko quickly tried to school her features. Moko had said it was crucial to act convincingly if she wanted the excuse to work. Kyoko pouted and huffed lightly, acting a bit insulted.

"What makes you think I've been seducing you? I thought we were being friendly." Ren almost believed her. Almost. Had he not known her and her virtues so well, he would have taken her excuse easily.

"Mogami-san," he watched as she twitched and froze in her explanations as to why he was assuming things, "I know you well enough to know you don't act this way without reason. Why are you trying to seduce me? Is it for a part? Is it for fun? Preparation?" _'A man? Should I be worried?'_

"Is it working?" That made his mind buzz to a stop for a second, turning to stare at her with disbelief.

"Do you want it to work?"

"Don't answer my question with a question!"

"Ah, but you did it first." Kyoko snapped her mouth shut at that, knowing he was right. Instead, she turned her head away quickly. "Well?" his prompting caused a confused look on her face and he let out a chuckle and leaned toward her again, his face close and voice low. "Do you want your seductions to work?" She couldn’t hold back the rush of blood to her face as she took a step back from him. The man closed the space again by leaning in and placed his hands on the counter, one on either side of her and effectively trapping her, their faces only inches apart. “Do you want me to reciprocate?” His voice was low, not having to speak very loud when she was so close. Kyoko was starting to feel dizzy from the close proximity of the emperor of the night. She scrambled for a response in her head.

”Do you want me to want you to reciprocate?” She barely kept from berating herself for the weak response, but stopped short as she saw something flash in his eyes. She watched as Ren eyed her thoughtfully for a moment before slowly reaching out, his fingers barely brushing at her hair to tuck a few strays behind her ear. The contact of his fingertips barely brushing along the shell of her ear sent pleasurable shivers through her body. She could certainly see why he told her it might not be ideal to do such a thing in public. It was an innocent enough touch, but the feelings it stirred within her were far from it. Was this the sensation she had caused in The Tsuruga Ren only three days ago? The thought was enough to send a surge of courage through her, gently placing her hands on his chest. She noted how he seemed to pause for a moment, staring at her with questions clearly circulating around in his mind. "Do you want to try your seductions on me? I wonder how Tsuruga-san pursues someone." she admitted curiously. She wasn't expecting him to groan out a sound that almost resembled a growl. His hand fiddling with the tips of her hair slowly came to cradle her cheek as he leaned in and pressed their foreheads together. Kyoko saw a flash of pain in his eyes, reminding her of the "sweet poison" comment he had made at her before. Was he resisting? Then if she pushed him a little further... She spread her fingers and smoothed them over his chest before shifting them to his sides, gently trailing them down to his hims. His gaze burned into her and she felt her cheeks heat slightly. A little more. Maybe he needed a little more prompting. She slid her hands to the back along the edge of his pants before gliding them upward to feel at his shoulder blades, effectively closing the distance between their bodies as she felt him tremor in her embrace, his forehead rising from hers to allow her head to settle against his chest. One large hand gently found it's place at the small of her back while his other arm wrapped around her shoulders, loose enough that she felt she could easily break free... if she had wanted to. She held him tighter, quietly noticing something firm pressing against her stomach. _'Is that...?'_ her body felt so hot now. She could feel it, that thing that made men think with their desires rather than their logic. She chewed her lip as she squeezed Ren in her arms, pleased at the little gasp she heard from him. Her mind spun as she wondered how to tempt him further.

"Mogmami-san, you're making this awfully difficult for me." he mumbled out as he rested his chin atop her head. Kyoko blushed and fidgeted lightly against him, freezing when she heard a soft grunt. Oh..., this wasn't quite the predicament she had planned.

"D-difficult?" she echoed innocently. Ren simply let out a hum of confirmation. "W-w-what's so difficult about hugging someone? I was under the impression that Tsuruga-san liked this kind of thing." she excused it shakily. He was the kind of person to show affection easily to people after all, to do things that could give her the wrong idea if she didn't have a better grasp of her emotions. The only difference now was that there was a very obvious attraction between them currently.

"That's the problem," he growled out finally, his hands tensing on her for a second, "I like this kind of thing, and you're making it difficult to resist."

"Because I'm sweet poison?" Ren was silent for a moment before he pulled away slightly. Kyoko instantly felt cold at the loss of contact, but the chill was forgotten as he cradled her face again and gazed down into her eyes.

"Because you're the fresh spring water I'm not allowed to drink, even though I'm so thirsty I could die." Kyoko gripped the back of his shirt as she gazed up at him. Ren was surprisingly poetic at times, she realized. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips. She hadn't meant to use it as a seduction tactic this time, but she saw it take it's effect anyway as the man's eyes shifted to stare at her lips.

"Why... are you not allowed to drink the water before you?" she asks slowly. His gaze snapped up to meet her own once again, slightly wider with surprise as he quickly searched her face for the meaning to her words. He needed more clarification, but how to get it....

"Because if I drink from this spring, I'm afraid it might dry up and leave me to die anyway." His voice was barely above a whisper now. Kyoko smiled softly up at him. What a strange analogy.

"That's a bit stupid. You'll die if you don't drink. Surely the spring can handle your thirst?" Ren's breath hitched and his body tensed as he leaned in a bit closer. Their hearts pounded wildly in their chests, unknowingly mimicking one another.

"My thirst may be more than the little spring can take."

"Then drink slow so as to not dry it up right away." Ren couldn't resist it any longer, his lips connecting with hers, soft at first yet slowly growing in force and intensity. Kyoko melted in his arms as he kissed her passionately, his lips coaxing her own to move. It was slow and deliberate, and Kyoko felt so clumsy as she tried to follow his movements, but it was so thrilling and warm that she desperately hung on, her hands fisting in the back of his shirt. She couldn't breath, her head growing dizzy and she tugged on his shirt to try and tell him, but it only seemed to spur him on more. Her knees felt weak. She inhaled a needed gasp of breath through her nose and suddenly the world became clear again, adrenaline pumping through her as she pressed back eagerly. Ren let out a soft moan and she felt the sound encourage her further. She slipped her hands down to his hips again, fiddling with the hem of his shirt before she slipped her hands up and under the fabric. The man shuddered with pleasure as her soft hands trailed over twitching muscles and heated skin. It was invigorating, causing such reactions from her senpai. The kiss broke as Ren pulled away in favor of hugging her to him and panting. Kyoko danced her fingers along his ribs, feeling every little part of his torso that she could as she leaned up on her tippy-toes and burried her face in his neck. She recalled how he had told her the difference between a bite mark and a kiss mark back during their secret mission. He had offered to teach her, and she got so mad. She still didn't like the reminder that he had so much more experience in this than her, that he had probably touched and felt plenty of women before her, but... with the man quivering at every touch by _her_ hand, she wondered if it would be alright to learn these things on him. Slowly and timidly, she licked the spot on his neck and felt the satisfaction as he trembled.

"K-Kyoko" The moan was soft, but the girl heard it. The resulting pause was all it took for him to freeze up, then release her and back up quickly as though burned. His eyes stared down at her, wide and horrified. "I..." he scrambled for an explanation for his actions. Kyoko could already see the apology on his lips and turned away quickly, gasping when she saw the pot boiling over and the vegetables getting a bit overcooked.

"Oh no! I'm sorry, Tsuruga-san! Ah! I'll have this fixed and finished quickly." she says as she scrambled about the kitchen. Ren watched in silence as she darted about and around him. At least she didn't seem upset with him.

 

Dinner turned into yet another awkward experience, though a bit more comfortable in their awkwardness. There was a buzzing energy in the air, both wanting desperately to touch the other again, but neither willing to break through the barrier or bring up the passionate make-out they had less than an hour ago. The night was slowly starting to close in, though, and Kyoko didn’t want to leave with everything so confusing and jumbled in her heart and mind. She peaked over at her senpai, fidgeting her hands in her lap as she watched him quietly stare at the tv.

"Tsuruga-San,” she called, the man instantly turning his head to look at her in response. “Are you upset?” She asked timidly. His eyes widened and he blinked three times before answering.

"Why would I be upset?”

"Well...,” She fidgeted and looked away, “because of earlier. The... the kissing and... the touching.” She was starting to mumble as she grew more and more shy. She heard a light chuckle and looked up quickly to find him directing his heavenly smile at her.

"I believe I was the one that instigated most of that. If anything, I should expect you to be the one upset over it.” He watched as the girl shook her head shyly.

"I... I was the one attempting to seduce you after all.”

"Oh? You were seducing me?” Ren grinned as she glared over at him with a pout.

"You already said you knew it. Don’t try to act all oblivious and ignorant of it now.” She grumbled. Ren only chuckled and nodded with understanding.

"So, did you accomplish what you wanted? I’m going to assume this was for that offer you were preparing for.” Because how could she be fine with him kissing her like that otherwise? There was no way she had feelings for him.

"This... wasn't for a part or anything.” He almost missed her mumbled sentence, looking over to her with shock. The girl was bright red as she fidgeted and fiddled with her own fingers. There wasn’t a part to prepare for? Kyoko peaked up at him timidly, but Ren couldn’t seem to find his words.

"Then... why...?” He spoke softly. Kyoko looked away quickly again and he struggled to ignore the heavy racing of his heart.

"That is... I need to learn these things eventually right?” She explained. Sure, he could somewhat accept that, but he had _kissed_  her. And she had _responded_ , quite positively at that. Ren reached out to her, his hand pausing for a moment in uncertainty before he placed it over her fidgety hands in her lap.

"Kyoko,” her eyes snapped up to meet his, “may I kiss you again?” She gaped at him for a moment, questions swimming in her eyes before she swallowed hard and gave a hesitant nod. His heart soared at her approval. Was there hope for him? He scooted closer to her before raising his hand from hers in favor of cradling her face. She slowly closed her eyes as he leaned in, his own mirroring the action as he tilted his head and made their lips meet for the second time that night. He could taste the dinner they had just had on her lips, even more delicious than when he had been eating it. Guiding her lips apart with his own, he gently prodded her tongue with his, gaining soft little noises of surprise and pleasure as a reward. She was far from experienced, but he couldn’t care less. She was her, and that’s all he could ask for.

Kyoko found herself leaning backward until she was laying on the floor, her senior stretched out next to her as he guided her through the kiss. Suddenly, her hands felt misplaced, nervously coming up to grip into his shirt once again. He was kissing her! Tsuruga Ren was really REALLY _kissing_ her! And so passionately too! A soft little moan escaped her and Kyoko blushed as she realized what she had done, relaxing a bit as she felt him smirk against her lips. Did that mean he liked it? Well... she supposed she like it when he let out involuntary noises. She reached up and threaded her fingers into his hair, scratching light at his scalp and enjoying herself as she heard his responding groan. She shifted one hand to his ear and traced the skin behind it, feeling his hand twitch against her jaw before sliding down to her neck, pausing before trailing further down at an agonizingly show pace, tracing around the swell of her breast. She gasped at the new sensation, quietly wishing he would touch her more directly. She arched upward in a silent attempt at conveying her desires. Ren pulled away with a groan, resting his head against her shoulder as his hand settled on her hip. Why did he stop?

”Kyoko, this is getting really dangerous for me.” He groaned out.

"D-dangerous?" she echoed softly.

"Dangerous." he confirmed before pulling away to gaze into her eyes, gently running his thumb over her jaw as a loving smile pulled at his lips. She was so beautiful, hair fanned out around her on the floor, plump newly-kissed lips, heavy golden eyes staring timidly back at him, it was too much to take. He leaned down and softly kissed her forehead, threading his fingers through her own hair to hold her head as he kissed the spot again. Kyoko blushed as she stared at his chest, reaching up and slowly sliding her hands up under his shirt again as she felt his muscles twitching under her fingertips.

"I don't mind a bit of danger... when I'm with Tsurguga-san." she admitted softly. Ren paused for a moment before lowering down to face her directly again, a sly smirk pulling at his lips as his finger traced gently up her side, teasing the edge of her bra through her shirt.

"I'm much more than a 'bit' dangerous, Kyoko." he warned, the Emperor in full force now.

 

* * *

 

 

Kanae rose her eyebrows curiously as she stared at the blushing girl across from her. They were lounging in the love-me room after finishing their duties for the day.

"I'm going to guess that dinner went well, based on the way you've been all day." she drawled lightly. Kyoko's blush darkened by a full shade as she timidly nodded. "As much as I don't want to picture it, I have to ask; did you two do it?" the girl's eyes widened and she shook her head vigorously.

"I couldn't do something like... n-no! It... it's too early to do things like that! We..." the shy girl fidgeted with her hands as she looked down at them. "T-Tsuruga-san was um... very accommodating, and he agreed that he didn't want to rush into anything. We just... K-k-kissed... and... I took your advice." Kanae stared silently for a moment as she tried to make sense of Kyoko's words.

"When I said attempt more body contact, I was talking about touching his arms and chest more, maybe hugging or leaning on his shoulders. From the sounds of it, you two did heavy petting... body petting." she clarified, getting her answer by the responding timid look from Kyoko. "Well, it's a little more advanced than I expected from you, but I think that's fine. As long as neither one of you is uncomfortable with it, I say go for it." Kyoko looked a little more relieved now and Kanae smiled as she pat the younger girl on the head, smiling wider as Kyoko perked up at the action. "So... are you two going to start dating?" she asked. Kyoko shyly nodded in response.

"He ah... he's actually coming to pick me up once he finishes work for the day." she explains. Kanae hummed and looked up to the wall clock thoughtfully.

"When is-" her question was interrupted by a knock on the door. Getting up, she walked over and unlocked it, opening it to reveal one glowing Tsuruga Ren, dimming a bit when he was faced with an unimpressed Kotnami Kanae instead of the girl he was obviously infatuated with. 

"Ah, Kotonami-san. Sorry to bother you, but would Mogami-san happen to be here still?" he asked. The woman rolled her eyes lightly at how blatantly obvious he was.

"Of course she is. We were just talking about you, actually." she smirked a bit as she saw his smile falter.

"Oh?"

"Yeah," she placed a hand on his shoulder, amused at the somewhat uncertain way his eyes looked to her hand and she leaned in, "you owe me one, Tsuruga." she whispered darkly before patting him on the shoulder and walking off with a wave. "Have fun on your date!" she stated as she left. Ren looked into the room curiously, finding an adorably blushing Kyoko staring back at him.

"So, have you two been talking about me a lot lately?" he asked, a teasing smirk already pulling at his lips. He loved the way her embarrassment visibly darkened on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Done! This was fun to write, though I had difficulty finding inspiration on some parts. Kanae would DEFINITELY demand thanks for helping Ren out, even if it was just a side effect to her helping Kyoko. :P  
> I might expand on this later, because Kyoko would obviously keep having girl talks even after she started dating and getting married and such. Even if Kanae doesn't experience the same things as Kyoko, she's a bright and knowledgeable young woman and would be very capable of putting things into perspective and/or giving advice on various things. Anyhoo, thank you for reading!


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